Device for weaning infants



April 24, 1951 R. c. KERS-H 2,550,568

DEVICE FOR WEANING INFANTS Fi led Feb. 25, 1947 E .l. 5 5 I /7 Fig.5..

INVENTOR IFO/V/ILD a KERJH H [5 ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR WEANING INFANTS Ronald Kersh, Monterrey, Mexico Application February 25, 1947, Serial No. 730,659 1 Claim. (01. 128-252) My invention relates to the weaning of infants, and more particularly to a device for this purpose.

Among the objects of my invention are:

(1) To provide a novel and improved device for the weaning of infants;

(2) To provide a novel and improved device for gradually accustoming an infant to drinking from a glass without introducing any sudden changes in its natural and instinctive drinking habits;

(3) To provide a novel and improved device for the weaning of infants, adaptable to the rate at which the individual infants habits might be altered;

(4) To provide a novel and improved device for the weaning of infants, which is capable of being readily sterilized and rendered sanitary as often as deemed necessary.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of my improved weaning device as applied to a glass;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the same;

Figure 3 is a view in section in the plane of symmetry of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the assembly of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing for details of my invention in its preferred form, the same comprises an elastic band I of a diameter enabling the same to be stretched over the mouth of a drinking glass 3, said band having an inwardly directed lip 5 along its upper edge to overhang the rim of such glass when applied thereto.

A guard 1 formed integral with the band spans at least an arcuate portion of the same, and extending upwardly from the guard adjacent an edge of the band and preferably at such an angle as to overhang the rim of the glass, is a spout 9. This spout tapers from a narrow oval-shaped base II to a blunt tip l3, and inwardly thereof, the spout is formed with a tapering passage l5 terminating at the tip of the spout in a drinking opening 11 of pinhole size suitable for a nursing infant.

The spout, at least, should be formed of a severable material or one capable of being cut with a pair of shears or sliced with a knife. Preferably the device is formed integrally by repeated dippings of a suitable mold or form in liquid latex, whereby the same may be built up to any desired wall thickness and yet remain highly elastic and pliable and at the same time be soft and soothing to the gums of the infant.

One of the important features of the device resides in the tapered passage through a spout of severable material, which, as the infant grows and becomes accustomed to taking milk at an increased rate of flow, may be trimmed off in succomes accustomed to the feel and appearane of the glass and is gradually brought closer to the same as the spout is trimmed shorter and shorter, until ultimately when the rate of flow has been increased to the point where the infant can drink directly from the glass, he will have been drinking so close to the rim of the glass that the ultimate removal of the weaning device from the glass will not represent a material change in the inf ants drinking habits.

Also with this ultimate purpose in mind, the tapered construction of the spout automatically causes the spout to become larger in section with successive trimmings, thus accommodating itself to the mouth of the growing infant. In this manner, it gently accustoms the infant to assume the proper lip position which the infant should take when it ultimately discards the weaning device and drinks directly from the glass.

The device when formed of rubber latex or the like may be repeatedly boiled to sterilize the same andrender it sanitary, and the structural design lends itself readily to such treatment.

From the above description and illustration of my invention in its preferred form, it will be appreciated that it fulfills all the objects previously recited therefor, and while I have described my invention in considerable detail, the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles thereof. I accordingly do not desire to be limited in my protection to such details, except as may be necessitated by the appended claim.

I claim:

A weaning device for infants, comprising a re- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,098,128 Bailey Nov. 2, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 160,343 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1921 411,379 Great Britain June '7, 1934 609,924 France May 22, 1926 

